All About Reading vs The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading

The sharpest difference is format: All About Reading is Workbook, The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading is Textbook. Everything else the site measures lines up.

At a glance

All About Reading

Grades PreK-4

Owners report it suits

Hands-on learnersDyslexia

The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading

Grades PreK-5

Owners report it suits

Advanced/gifted

Both are reported to suit Struggling learners.

Skip to who fits

Where they differ

All About Reading The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
Format Workbook Textbook
Best for Tags show where owners consistently report a good fit. They are not exclusions. Struggling learnersHands-on learnersDyslexia Advanced/giftedStruggling learners
Method TraditionalEclecticOrton-GillinghamSynthetic phonics TraditionalClassicalSynthetic phonics
Grades PreK-4 PreK-5

Solid tags are unique to that program. Muted tags are carried by both.

Where they match

How each one plays by grade

All About Reading

Grades PreK-4

Most families finish about one level a year, and many stop after Level 3 or 4 once a child reads fluently.

The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading

Grades PreK-5

Covers concepts from kindergarten through roughly fourth or fifth grade. Many families pause partway once early reading is solid, then return for the advanced lessons.

Cost

All About Reading The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
Price $119.95-159.95/level $32-40 (both books)
Consumable Partial No
Per child / year ~$120-160 first child, ~$40-50 after ~$35 once, ~$10-15/child-year over the years it takes

Where to buy

What parents report

All About Reading

Consistently praised

  • Scripted lessons make it open and go
  • Gorgeous hardcover readers kids enjoy
  • Multisensory tiles keep little ones engaged
  • Reusable with younger siblings
  • It works even for reluctant or dyslexic kids

Reported as challenges

  • Upfront cost per level stings
  • Lots of cards and tiles to cut and store
  • Pace can drag through Level 2
  • Fully parent-led, nothing done alone

The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading

Consistently praised

  • Fully scripted, so any parent can teach it
  • Inexpensive for how thorough it is
  • Takes a child from letter sounds to advanced words
  • Built-in review keeps skills from slipping
  • No spelling or writing mixed in, lessons stay focused

Reported as challenges

  • The scripting gets repetitive and predictable
  • Text-heavy with no color or games
  • It can take a few years to finish
  • Some kids need phonics readers added for practice

Who All About Reading fits

A gentle, scripted, hands-on phonics program taught one-on-one, and a longtime favorite for struggling and dyslexic readers. Parents who need a child working independently, or who have an early reader racing ahead, aren't the audience for it.

Read the full All About Reading entry Check price All About Learning Press

Who The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading fits

Suits parents who want a thorough, low-cost phonics spine they can open and teach, including remedial work with an older child who missed phonics. Families wanting hands-on activities or a colorful all-in-one kit should keep looking. It's frequently paired with Explode the Code for written practice.

Read the full The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading entry Check price Well-Trained Mind Press

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All About Reading compared with

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The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading compared with

Descriptions aggregate what homeschool parents consistently report across public community sources together with each publisher's own materials. Prices and editions change over time. Both entries last reviewed July 2026.